Aztec Camera - Deep And Wide And Tall (2005)

UK import, part of the Warner Platinum series.

Not too long ago, I wrote these words; "Every time I hear a track from Aztec Camera, I always wonder why I don't have any Aztec Camera CDs. Easily remedied, perhaps, but that doesn't explain why I've waited so long." Well, I finally took care of that problem and have been listening to this compilation CD quite a bit lately. I'll let the Allmusic review do the 'splaining about this compilation:

This budget-priced collection of "sophistipop" from Scottish guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Roddy Frame (aka Aztec Camera) is (for the most part) a neutered version of 2001's 16-track Best of Aztec Camera. As digitally remastered anthologies go, WEA International's Deep and Wide and Tall: The Platinum Collection does an adequate job of providing an overview of the hyper-literate, new wave/college rock outfit's nearly 15-year career

I don't hope for "adequate" when buying a CD, but that's an apt descriptor here. I shoulda gone with the aforementioned "Best of" disc or simply a copy of the (oddly expensive) High Land, Hard Rain debut album, but I didn't and here we are. I'm not disappointed, but I'm not exactly thrilled. However, I am cheap and on a fixed income, so I went for the most affordable option. Live and learn.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

	Song	Album	Year	UK
1	Oblivious	High Land, Hard Rain	1983	18
2	Walk Out To Winter	High Land, Hard Rain	1983	64
3	Pillar To Post	High Land, Hard Rain	1983
4	All I Need Is Everything	Knife	1984	34
5	Still On Fire	Knife	1984	83
6	Deep And Wide And Tall	Love	1987	55
7	Paradise	Love	1987
8	Good Morning Britain (with Mick Jones)	Stray	1990	19
9	The Gentle Kind	Stray	1990
10	Spanish Horses	Dreamland	1993	52
11	The Belle Of The Ball	Dreamland	1993
12	Let Your Love Decide	Dreamland	1993
13	Rainy Season	Frestonia	1995
14	Sunset	Frestonia	1995

I don't think you'll be surprised to read that I prefer the cuts from the '80s, although the tracks from the '90s are "adequate."

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None